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Hello from a newly returning astronomy nut!

The Analog Kid

By The Analog Kid
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The Analog Kid

The Analog Kid

Posted
Posted

Hi there. New to the forum and stuff, just thought I'd introduce myself.

I'm Shaun from Liverpool. I've been interested in Astronomy since I was a young lad, when my parents bought me a small Tasco refractor telescope in about 1979! I had so many problems seeing anything to be honest, but it was when I saw a very tiny Saturn for a brief second (before the wind knocked the scope as it had a very dodgy tripod!) that I really became interested..

I never bothered for years and years and it's only recently that when pointing out the Pleides to my new girlfriend (how romantic!) that I kinda thought about getting back into it..

I didn't want to start spending a shedload of money (I have a massive mortgage, recently made bigger by a rather messy divorce :lol:) so thought about starting off with something smaller.. I was looking around for a reflector (I'd always wanted one since I was younger since the refractor was pretty awful!), and my girlfriend knew this.. Anyway to cut a long story short, she's gone out and bought me one for Christmas..

She's bought a Telstar 4.5" Reflector with:

14mm (4.5”) F/900 reflector telescope

Magnification range: 45x, 68x, 135x, 225x, 338x, 675x

Magnification is arrived at by dividing the focal length (900mm) by the eyepiece mm. This can be further increased by 3x using the 3x Barlow eyepiece and 1.5x erecting eyepiece. Optimum magnification: 225x. Rack & Pinion focusing

Including:

- 1.25” 4mm eyepiece.

- 1.25” 20mm eyepiece.

- Full equatorial mount.

- 5x24 finder scope.

- 3x Barlow lens.

- 1.5x erecting eyepiece.

- Sturdy and adjustable metal tripod

I wouldn't have the heart to tell her it's a pile of junk as to be totally honest, it's a lovely thought for a Christmas present, she's actually just as eager to see all the wonderful sights to see (including the Pleides up close and personal!)

Anyway, would appreciate any feedback you may have to bring an old timer back into an old hobby!

In the words of Coldplay (Sorry... I'm in a Coldplay Tribute band!)

Look at the Stars!

See how they shine for you!

:)

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The Warthog

The Warthog

Posted
Posted

OK, Kid, good to see ya! You might want to check out some of the threads on new scopes.

I have had a couple of 4.5" scopes, and you can get a lot of enjoyment out of them. To start with, your eyepieces are 1.25" which is a good thing, and may be Kellner eyepieces, if they have a "K" before the number printed on them. These are not bad, and if they turn out to be Plossl eyepieces, that's very good.

You will probably find that the scope shines in the 30 - 125x range of magnifications, with 150x being a bit of a reach, but try out 225x, which is the theoretical and practical maximum for a 4.5" scope. Higher magnifications will generally increase the size of the blur you are looking at. Goc put this limitation on scopes; it's not the fault of the manufacturer.

Decent Plossl eyepieces are not expensive, and you may want to get a few. A 32, 20, and 12mm with a 2x Barlow make a nice set for that scope. Wait a while until you get comfortable with using the scope before you add anything, though. Take the advice of the people here; they're pretty sharp.

Have fun with your scope! I used mine for six or more years before buying a larger one.

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